Record roads investment to transform Sydney

Record roads investment to transform southern Sydney

Travel times will be slashed and congestion on local roads eased under the NSW Government’s record roads investment for Southern Sydney.

NSW Premier Mike Baird, Roads Minister Duncan Gay and local members Mark Coure (Oatley) and John Flowers (Rockdale) today said major projects planned for the region were progressing well.

“We are investing in projects that will transform this region – from works around Sydney Airport to the F6 feasibility study and WestConnex - the St George area will never be the same again,” Mr Baird said.

“The southern extension for WestConnex, being investigated as part of our plan to rebuild NSW, will be a game-changer for this part of Sydney.

“It will make travel from Kogarah, Sutherland, Cronulla and Wollongong to the CBD quicker and more reliable.

“Residents can also finally see progress on the long-talked about F6 motorway to link Loftus and St Peters with $11 million in the budget for investigation and scoping work.

“We’re determined to deliver improvements as quickly as possible which is why this year’s budget has invested $84 million for roads in the St George region, including more than $26 million towards the package of works to ease congestion around Sydney Airport.”

Mr Gay said communities in Southern Sydney would be one of the big winners from the WestConnex project because it meant taking traffic and trucks off local roads.

“WestConnex will fix the M5 East tunnel and the M4. Work is on track to start next year on an upgrade of the King Georges Road/M5 East interchange, as part of the acceleration of Stage 2 of WestConnex from Beverly Hills to St Peters,” Mr Gay said.

“The NSW Government recently announced new elements to the $282 million package of WestConnex enabling works to ease congestion around the airport and improve direct connections to the motorway.

“These works will see upgrades on General Holmes Drive, Joyce Drive and Mill Pond Road and a rail level crossing replaced with an underpass so cars don’t have to stop for freight trains to Port Botany on one of Australia’s busiest rail freight lines.

“We have announced the widening of Marsh St which is a regular pinch point on weekends in particular as motorists head to the airport and will be making changes to Robey and O’Riodran Streets to ensure changes within the airport precinct have flow on effects on our roads.”

“Work is progressing well on the $11 million allocated this financial year for a future F6 motorway planned to link Loftus and St Peters.

“We have to be clever because the F6 imagined in 1951 may not be the F6 we need today with so many changes on the southern road network since then.

“However, on the current route, motorists could bypass up to 85 sets of traffic lights when a new F6 is opened, which would shave a huge amount of time off the daily commute,” Mr Gay said.

Mr Coure and Mr Flowers said the NSW Government had made the largest commitment in more than a decade to Southern Sydney.

“We are prioritising new infrastructure for communities around the St George area,” Mr Coure said.

“More than $12 million is allocated to improve existing roads while our big ticket projects progress to reduce congestion and improve safety for all road users.

“A $1.5 million project will be carried out to replace the surface of Forest Road from Besborough Avenue to Croydon Road at Bexley.

“That’s additional to a $432,000 project to replace the surface of Henry Lawson Drive from Kerrie Crescent to Salt Pan Creek at Peakhurst,” Mr Coure said.

“The bridge over the Cooks River at Tempe will have a $3 million upgrade to widen lanes and improve access for pedestrians and cyclists and a $250,000 repair project will be carried out to the bridge above Wolli Creek on Bexley Road at Bexley North,” Mr Flowers said.

“Work will start on a $2.2 million project to upgrade the Princes Highway from Rocky Point Road at Kogarah to King Georges Road at Blakehurst to improve safety on this busy section of road.

“Across the St George area we are delivering on major and minor road upgrades for our communities,” Mr Flowers said.